Originally posted by: n7
The real question is why people still use actual clients/appz?
I've always used online-based email...don't see the point of hassling w/ a program when i can access my email from anywhere w/ Gmail.
I'm not even sure where to begin.
I guess first there is no real "use anywhere" benefit that gmail has over my existing mail since OWA or other web based mail is always available if I want it.
As for the fat client it is far superior to anything web based. The editor is easier, faster, and far more powerful. The handling of attachments and imbedded content is far superior. The calendaring is far superior. Task lists, notes, archiving and other data handling. I also get 700-1000 emails a day (no, not spam...real crap that needs done) and gmail would be an utter joke for handling that. I leverage folder trees, favorite folders, search folders, auto-flags, couple dozen rules, content and sender colorization, thread views etc to manage that kind of inbound traffic. Also my inbox alone (not even going to try and count my archiving folders) is 550mb right now. I've got it and the archives completely indexed and I can search all of them in about 3-5 seconds. When I'm ready the mailbox cleanup tools & auto archiving are there to keep things under control.
It integrates with sharepoints and is fully integrated with my voicemail and IM. If I get an email I see the IM presence jellybean of everyone on the email and I can IM to any one of them. I can also "reply all" IM and it fires up a livemeeting conference (with voice, video and app sharing if desired). I make phone calls to and from my IM client. Missed IMs and missed voicemail arrives in my email (as rich text or sound files). I can also run it all from my phone... IM and email on the phone via windows mobile. If I don't want to fool with my cell I can use my home or any other phone and call into my email. It will be read to me and I can reply in the form of sound files. I can also fully manage my calendar, "I'll be 15 minutes late for my 3pm" computer reply: "thanks I'll notify all meeting participants". That's pimp ******...does gmail do that??
I think you get the point.
That's why I use "client/appz" (plus a great spellchecker and thesaurus for when one's vocabulary is lacking

). I also don't have to worry about Google violating my privacy and indexing every one of my personal emails like they do yours :shocked:
For it's class gmail is a great webmail program..arguably the best some would say. I'm sure it would be great for like my parents or something (if their son wasn't working at MS

). If you put it up against a full Microsoft Exchange + Outlook + OCS implementation and it becomes a joke.
It's like pong versus Crysis.